


Marimag Mayhem

by miss_bugaboo (margaret_helstone)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Magic, Marichat, Marichat May, friendship fic, howgwarts au, no kwamis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23954368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margaret_helstone/pseuds/miss_bugaboo
Summary: As a fourth year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Marinette was sure that life could no longer surprise her. And yet, even she could hardly believe her eyes when she first laid them on the blond boy she met, in the Requirement Room that she had not expected to find.The boy with cat eyes. The boy with cat ears.Chat Noir.Marichat May, Hogwarts AU.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 3
Kudos: 47





	1. Day 1: A Witch

**Author's Note:**

> So I promised myself I wouldn't post another multi-chaptered story until TOG and Soulmate Scam were fully out. I promised myself I would not start another project before I wrap up at least some of the old ones. I promised myself I would use the Marichat May for learning to write small fics instead of trying to create 50k+ stories that I usually aim at.
> 
> My friends, I have failed.
> 
> The reason for it is mostly because I just can't write short fics and since I can hardly write 10 thousand words in a single day, I just wasn't able to wrap this one up properly (it was NaNo Camp until yesterday so no, I couldn't have worked on it in advance). And so, I decided to drag it on a little, using the prompts in the new chapters rather than creating separate stories for them.
> 
> As you can see, the first day's prompt kind of decided the setting here.
> 
> Anyway, as different as this is going to be from my other stories, I still hope that you'll enjoy it! As always, I'll be grateful for each and every word you leave under this work.
> 
> Merry Marichat May!  
> Bugaboo

Marinette Dupain-Cheng was hiding.

Again.

Not like it was anything new or surprising to her, nor would have it been for any of her friends. This game of hide and seek had become a daily occurrence by now, a most unwelcome and yet most necessary habit, what with the vendetta Lila and Chloe had against her these days. She couldn't even tell _what_ it was she had done that had enraged them so much, except maybe the fact that she was a Gryffindor student and they were _not_.

Those darn Slytherins, always focusing on people's backgrounds instead of their deeds.

Marinette shook her head firmly as she realised how cliché, how cut-and-dry her own opinion was. She was _not_ going down that road, lumping people together simply because they'd happened to end up in the same House. It drove her insane; she could not repeat that hideous behaviour herself.

Even if most of the Slytherin students she knew really _were_ spoilt, chauvinistic brats.

Her thoughts turned back to the two particular girls that had made it so difficult for her as of late. She'd had a long history with Chloe, of course—the two had never really got along, but it didn’t usually go any further than an occasional jab here and there, which wasn’t much more than she'd done to any other student. And even if she _had_ bullied Marinette a little more than the rest, it seemed like the only reason for it was that Marinette was also the one person who bothered to react.

Ignoring her had soon turned out to be the best way to make the Bourgeois girl lose her drive significantly.

With Lila, however... It was different.

Chloe was an open book, and not only to those who cared to learn its contents. She was mean and she showed it; she felt superior to those around her and never missed the chance to remind them of it.

Lila, on the other hand, never stopped pretending. She was nice, she was sweet, she was the most considerate person in the whole world—or at least, that's what she wanted you to believe. And what was worse, she usually succeeded.

Four years they'd been in this school together and Marinette still appeared to be the only one who'd managed to see through the fabric of her lies.

Which was exactly why Lila hated her so much.

She sighed wearily, leaning against the cold stone wall behind her back, and raised her hand to rub her face. She was so tired of avoiding them, tired of having to constantly look behind her back to ensure that they weren't following her in order to prank her again. She didn't even know when the two had teamed up—for most of their time together at Hogwarts, the girls seemed to have been hostile towards one another at least; as hostile as Lila allowed herself to appear, anyway. Chloe had just been her usual self.

It had all changed around Christmas, however. As per usual, Marinette had gone home, ready to enjoy her time with her only half-magical family as well as spend some with Alya's very non-magical one. It'd been as much fun as always, walking around Paris with those dearest to her, remembering that there still was a world where witches and wizards were nothing but an old wives' tale. She'd been more than glad, with her energy recharged and her faith in others restored...

...until she had returned to school after New Year and found that in her absence, Lila Rossi and Chloe Bourgeois had become allies.

"Why did Chloe even _stay_ at Hogwarts back then?" Marinette muttered under her breath. "She'd never stayed before, always bragging about how very much awaited she was or how the travelling fees were nothing to her, especially when there were people like Nathaniel or Mireille around. So why not this year as well?"

Her question lingered in the air, with no one but herself to answer it. And yet, silence wasn't the only thing she heard.

She pricked her ears and paled instantly, realising that the not so distant noises she'd detected were none other than the voices of the two tormentors she'd been thinking about. They were calling her name, and she could hear them better and better each time, which could only mean that they were approaching her, and _quick_.

And...

...were the voices coming from _two_ directions now?

Gosh, she _really_ didn't want to encounter them again, and certainly not when there was no one else to witness such a meeting.

"Think, Marinette, _think_ ," she urged herself, simultaneously trying not to think about how much her hands were trembling. "There must be a way out of here. But there isn't! Alright, so maybe if I play it cool and pretend that I'm not actually _afraid as hell_ , they will let me get away with it this time. Just-"

She was cut off but a noise of a cracking stone and a quake of the wall behind her. Before she knew it, she was falling down, as if the steady, sturdy thing she'd been leaning on had suddenly ceased to exist, vanishing into thin air.

Taken aback, she closed her eyes reflexively, before she hit the ground with a thud, shrieking in surprise like the clumsy idiot that she was.

There was no way her oppressors hadn't heard that; she was done for.

Except when Marinette finally opened her eyes, it turned out that neither Lila nor Chloe were anywhere to be seen.

There was _no one_.

And the place was different, too.

 _Where on earth am I?_ she wondered, astonished, as she picked herself up hesitantly. _It's not like there was a door behind me, and that wall was also a very real one until about ten seconds ago. So how did I..._

She trailed off, her attention caught by the sight of narrow wooden doors in front of her, so exactly where _she_ had been just a few moments earlier.

So there _was_ a door there after all.

"Guess I'm even less observant than I thought I was," she commented wryly. "Well, that wouldn't be the first time. But still... What _is_ this place?"

She looked around curiously, eager to solve this new riddle life had so unexpectedly thrown at her. With her fears put aside for now, she had nothing else to do; after all, she had enough reason in herself not to leave her safe haven so soon, when those she was hoping to avoid were bound to stay nearby.

She needed to wait it out. She might as well do some sightseeing while she was at it.

It didn't take her long to realise that the chamber she was in was not a particularly spacious one, though at the same time, it could hardly have been called small, either; and it certainly wasn't cramped. In fact, it looked very similar to the Gryffindor Common Room she knew so well herself... if only it hadn't been so terribly cold and bare.

It looked as if someone had taken their Common Room, reduced the size of it by half and then took away all the silly, unnecessary trinkets that were what made said chamber so cosy to begin with.

And yet, it was obvious that whoever had decorated _this_ room had intended to make it as comfy as possible.

Only they clearly had failed.

"They really don't get the Gryffindor aesthetics, do they," she mused with a soft smile, sliding her hand against the back of one of the armchairs. "You could change the colour and fabrics and it would be a Slytherin room in a flash. But if so... Why is it trying to mimic _ours_? Why is it golden and red and not silver and green?"

"Maybe they simply like the colour scheme more," someone answered her. "Who can tell?"

The shriek Marinette had let out before was nothing compared to the one she produced now. She turned away abruptly, reaching for her wand and pointing it at her mysterious companion in defense.

If it wasn’t for his incredible reflexes, she would have taken his eye out without a single spell to support her.

"Woah, woah, easy there!" She heard him cry out but she couldn't help but think that there was as much amusement as there was astonishment ringing in his voice. "I'm not going to harm you, so put that thing down, will you?"

"You scared me!" Marinette screamed back, her eyes closing once more, even though her wand remained pointed at him. " _I'm_ not to blame for my reactions!"

"You are the one who barged into _my_ Requirement Room, and yet you don't see me pricking your face with a stick, are you? Really, you could have crippled me for life with that swing. How do you cast spells with movements like these?"

"How I cast spells is no business of yours," she parried. "And what do you mean by a _Requirement Room?_ And _your_ Requirement Room at that?"

The mystery boy in front of her sighed.

"I'll answer all of your questions and more, but only after you've lowered that weapon of yours," he said evenly. "Also, please open your eyes. I'm not a basilisk, one look at me won't kill you."

Marinette did as she was told, though hesitantly. She didn't know this boy; the way he spoke to her wasn't familiar, and she prided herself in knowing most of the fourth years, and more than a few other students as well. She should have been able to recognise his voice or guess to whom it belonged... and yet, just this once, she had no idea who it was that was speaking to her.

Was he a fourth year like her, but secretive enough to have successfully evaded her attention so far? Was he older than her?

Was he _younger_?

"Come on, you're dragging it too long. I told you I wouldn't bite."

She finally looked up at him and found out that she was in for yet another surprise.

Because the boy in front of her didn't seem like a regular boy at all.

He wasn't a regular student, either. Unlike her, he wore no uniform (therefore making it impossible for her to determine what House he might possibly be from), dressed up in black from head to toe instead. Black shirt, black tie, black suit and shoes. An epitome of elegance and grace, with just a hint of darkness hovering around him.

That's what Professor Malfoy must have looked like twenty-five years ago.

 _No_ , she added in her thoughts after a moment, as her eyes stopped at the boy's head. _No way Malfoy would have let his hair fall into such disarray. Such a_ **_mess_ ** _._

And yet, as disconcerting as seeing her own professor with a hairstyle like this, it seemed more than suitable for the boy before her.

Somehow, she thought that he couldn't have looked well in anything else.

"Like what you're seeing?" he asked her straightforwardly and winked, his own lips curving up in a lopsided smile. "That's good. Perhaps -"

"That's not it!" She cut him off and dropped her gaze, abashed, her fingers tightening around the wand in her hands. "You just... You're not wearing a uniform, and it _is_ a normal school day. So I was surprised, that's all."

"I don't think my hair has anything to do with a uniform, though."

She chanced a glance at him and saw that his smirk grew even more bemused. He was taunting her, no doubt about that... However, the look she saw in his eyes suggested that the little jabs were nothing but an innocent, friendly game.

His _eyes_.

There was something about them, something she couldn't quite point out at first. It wasn't only that they were so incredibly, intensely green or even that they seemed too big to be real. It wasn't even his gaze, curious but longing, playful but earnest, as if he'd known her for years (which was pretty confusing on its own, for she sure as Azkaban didn't know _him_ ) and yet still wanted to get to know her even more.

He was...

...lonely.

And still, that wasn't what had been throwing her off. She focused her own gaze, boring her eyes into his, despite the growing embarrassment she felt at the very thought of what she was doing, and gasped when she finally realised what it was she was looking at.

"Cat eyes," she whispered foolishly. "You have _cat eyes_ . Wait— _why_ do you have cat eyes?!"

"Ten points for Gryffindor, ladies and gentlemen!" her companion called out with mock admiration, stepping back and gesturing at her with his arm. "A wonderful deduction, my friend. It only took you... Well, a _little_ longer than it should have."

"Oh, shut up," Marinette retorted without thinking, her cheeks flushing even further. "I was surprised, okay? By being thrown here, by finding _you_ . Who _are_ you, even?"

He opened his mouth to answer her but before he could, she added, "You know what? It doesn't matter. I'm just a dumb Gryffindor, so I obviously wouldn't understand anyway. Guess I'll go and check if Lila and Chloe are still camping on the other side of the door and if not, I'll be on my merry way. Hopefully I won't come across any more jokers like you. I'm sorry to have intruded your sanctuary. It wasn't done purposely."

She turned around and set off towards the door that—fortunately—was still firmly in place. She missed the change on her new acquaintance's face, the smile that disappeared as soon as he realised what she was about to do. She walked on, one step after another, annoyed; she reached out her hand and put it on the heavy brazen knob.

And then...

"Wait!" She heard him call and looked back, instinctively. "I didn't mean to make fun of you, I swear I didn't. I'm just... Not that good with people. Haven't had much practice as of late, if you know what I mean... But I'll be more than happy to work on it, if only you agree to help. Just... Please don't go yet."

The pleading look he was giving her was more than Marinette could expect and quite frankly, more than she was able to take, as well. She remained frozen for a while, eyeing him carefully, trying to determine whether he really meant the things he'd said or if it was just another joke at her expense.

He seemed sincere enough, alright; but better than anyone else, Marinette knew how misleading appearances might be.

Then again, everyone deserves a chance.

"You did make fun of me, though," she replied reservedly. "And you obviously enjoyed it. Don't tell me that you didn't, I know what I saw. And I _hate_ liars, if that's of any meaning to you."

"Of course it is. But I'm not lying. I... I didn't mean any harm. I'm sorry if I did any."

Marinette rolled her eyes; that guy really looked like a lost puppy, cat eyes or not.

"It's no big deal, but I recommend you don't repeat that. It's how you talk to close friends, not to people you see for the first time. Also, like I said: you _did_ enjoy that."

"Well, if I told you I simply enjoyed having someone to talk to, would you believe me?"

There it was, that look of sadness and heartache, of pining for a contact in any amount or form. He wasn't trying to trick her, or humiliate her like some people had.

He was asking for such a small thing, too—who was she to deny him that?

"Fine," she said at last. "I won't go _immediately_. I still don't have much time though, my next class starts in less than an hour now. And I still haven't had my lunch, mind you."

"Wish I could help with that," he replied readily. "I'm afraid that a place to sit is all that I can offer for now."

"A seat will do, as long as you let me out reasonably early for me to still grab something afterwards."

She raised an eyebrow at him and grinned mischievously. "You're _not_ planning to keep me locked up here, are you?"

"No! No. Of course not. I wouldn't dare," he stammered in response and this time, Marinette couldn't help but giggle. It was nice to know she wasn't the only one getting flustered easily. Meanwhile, he continued, "And I'm sorry if it seemed like it before. I mean... I don't want to be pushy. If you want to go now, I won't stop you."

"And where's the fun in that?"

Their gazes met again; this time, it was Marinette's turn to wink at him, and she even went as far as to pat his blond head playfully. Her eyes widened when she realised that the fair locks were not the only thing that adorned it... and she needed all of her strength to stop herself from screaming for the third time in the short while since they'd met.

"Something wrong?" he asked, visibly confounded.

"No, just-" she stuttered, shifting her eyes from his face to the top of his head and back. "You have cat _ears_ , too?"

She half expected to receive another witty comment on how unobservant she was, however, her words only seemed to agitate _him_ more, if his hand rubbing the nape of his neck was any indication. Once again, she stepped back, this time intent on having a good look at _all_ of him, and maybe even looking for...

"A tail, too?!"

Just who _was_ this guy?

"What happened to you?" she asked, her tone showing more than a little concern. "Were you messing with the Polyjuice Potion? Or was it someone else who brought this on you? I swear, if this was another prank those good-for-nothing fools-"

"It's none of those things," he hastened to reassure her then. "No one poisoned me, or pranked me, or cursed me... Or whatever it is you might have thought of. It's something... Something I brought on myself, but it wasn't polyjuice that'd caused it. Just... Just a little spell that has gone wrong, that's all."

"That's all?" Marinette asked, her eyes wider still. "But it's a huge thing! You should at least go to the infirmary or contact a teacher. It's not something that will just go away on its own."

"Actually, it _is_ ," he contradicted her again. "Really, I've done this before. An hour or two is all it takes for the spell to stop working... And it's already been about forty minutes since I cast it."

"Did it work last time?"

"N-no. It didn't. It actually was way worse than it is now. But hey, that only means that I'm improving, right?"

Now Marinette could do nothing but facepalm.

"It means you _lack common sense_ ," she said. "You know, at first I was sure you were a Slytherin, with all that high and mighty attitude and the 'ten points for Gryffindor' jokes. Now... I'm starting to think that you _may_ be a Gryffindor after all. That would certainly explain the decorations here."

"Because I'm brave?"

"Because you're a _moron_."

He said nothing to that, too busy gaping at her after her sudden retort. Marinette saw his reaction but said nothing, either, even though _her_ behaviour was in fact much more calculating than his was. So she shrugged and set off towards the armchair, sinking down against the soft cushions as soon as she'd reached it.

 _Well_ , she mused, _Guess that's one way to spend your lunch break._

Little did she know that it was only the beginning of it.


	2. Day 2: Bell

"Okay, but there is one thing I really can't understand, no matter how hard I try," Marinette's new acquaintance said nonchalantly, seated comfortably on the couch right next to the armchair she had picked for herself. "I mean, you're a Gryffindor, right? Gryffindor students are proud. Not in the same way the Slytherins are... but still. And yet here you are, openly making fun of your own House, mocking the one quality that others only boast about. Why?"

It'd been a good few minutes since Marinette had made up her mind about staying in the mystery room, and yet, these were the first words her companion had said to her since then. She didn't know whether it was his anxiety showing itself again - after all, the little displays from afore were enough to make her realise that his buoyant behaviour was really just a front meant to conceal the fears that ran inside him, even though she could hardly tell what those problems really were right now....

...Or if he was just busy forming the question he'd just asked to talk about anything else.

Well, she supposed a question like this demanded some thinking on his part.

"I don't know," she answered him, shrugging her shoulders dismissively. "It's an honest opinion. Do I really need a logical argument for the way I feel about things?"

"There must be  _ some _ reason for it though, there always is," he disagreed. "Even if it's completely subjective. But also... It just doesn't make sense."

"What doesn't make sense is that we've been chatting for at least ten minutes now, Cat-Boy, and you still haven't told me your name. Now  _ that's _ weird."

The boy in front of her only grinned.

"Funny thing, since I don't remember hearing yours,  _ Griffin-Girl _ ," he parried easily. "Besides, you're changing the subject.  _ Why _ are you against your own House?"

"I'm not  _ against _ it. All I did was suggest that in most cases, the so-called Gryffindor Courage has more to do with thoughtlessness than bravery. It's not like it  _ never _ works - sometimes that little bit of carelessness is what you need to take the first steps you wouldn't have taken otherwise. Still, as useful as it can be sometimes, it's hardly something to be particularly proud of. Not to mention, more often than not it only causes you more trouble."

"Does it really?"

Marinette nodded.

"Are you talking from experience? I just want to make sure, since you seem terribly confident in that belief."

"I've been in this school, in this  _ House  _ for more than three years now. All of my closest friends are in Gryffindor and trust me, some of them are like a textbook definition of it, both in terms of bravery and recklessness alike. And frankly, half the time I could  _ burst _ with how proud I am of them; if only I didn't spend the other half on a verge of a heart attack, worrying for their safety as they set off to their next stunt. They  _ are _ brave, I'm not saying that they're not. But much as I love them, they also can be a bunch of fools sometimes."

He didn't answer her immediately, and not even some moments later. Slightly surprised, Marinette glanced at him, half expecting to see him pondering over what she'd just said, or perhaps even catch him attending to something entirely different and therefore  _ not _ at all focused on the explanation he himself had asked for.

Instead, she was met with a steady, imploring gaze, so intense that she suddenly wanted to curl up and hide  _ behind _ her armchair instead of sitting comfortably on it.

He didn't even know what her name was and yet, she felt like another ten seconds of watching her like this would allow him to discover more about her than she'd ever told anyone.

It would have been scary if it hadn't been so incredibly kind.

He was  _ worried _ about her.

"And why are you talking about  _ them _ and not about  _ you _ ?" he asked before she could react in any way. "You are a Gryffindor, too, and yet not once have I heard you speak of yourself as a part of your House. How is that possible?"

"That's... That's not what I did at all!" she protested now, her cheeks flushing red all of the sudden. "I mean, okay, maybe it sounded like it. A little. But that's not the case here!"

"Isn't it?"

"No! I love my friends. And I'm more than happy that I've had the chance to get to know them, which wouldn't have happened if we'd been sorted into different Houses, and we  _ are _ a team, so whatever you're trying to imply here -"

"I wasn't implying anything," he cut her off. "You on the other hand, have just implied a whole lot of things yourself."

Marinette looked at him, unable to make a sensible comment on her part. His eyes were still fixed on hers, his gaze just as meaningful as before, if not more so, now additionally filled with comprehension that hadn't been there earlier. She swallowed hard, realising she'd accidentally blurted out her most cherished secret - the most uncomfortable, unwelcome truth, one that she'd been trying to squash ever since her first day at Hogwarts twenty long months ago.

And she did that in front of someone she'd known for less than a quarter of an hour altogether.

_ How _ had he managed to provoke her to do that?

"You don't think you belong there, do you?" he heard him ask with the same warm sternness that she could've already seen in his look. "You don't think you should have been put in Gryffindor to begin with. Is that correct?"

"It's not that simple," she opposed weakly and pulled her legs to her chest, resting her chin against her knees. "The people in our House, they really are like family to me. Alya, Nino, Alix... They are the best comrades I could have wished for. And it's not just them, it really goes for most of the students. So no, I wouldn't say I don't  _ belong _ there... In fact, I'm grateful that the Sorting Hat had decided to put me in that place. I just never really understood  _ why _ ."

Her interlocutor's gaze softened a bit as he smiled fondly at her. "Not feeling enough of a moron yourself, huh?"

Marinette's blush only grew deeper.

"More like, I'm not the right type," she mumbled. "Of a moron, that is. And even then, there's much more to it than just my intelligence. I'm... I'm a klutz. I'm awkward and clumsy and whatever you might say about Gryffindor students, they're  _ not _ that. I don't have that laid back attitude they usually show, or the confidence that makes them dive without thinking into the worst of messes because they simply can't imagine  _ not _ getting themselves out of it. But first and foremost..."

She paused and looked away, unconsciously starting to worry at her lip. She closed her eyes, too, shut them tight in an display of obvious chagrin, before concluding:

"I just don't think I'm brave enough. Not in the way they expect me to be."

She hid her face in her knees, her embrace around her calves tightening even further. She didn't want to admit that; didn't want to give voice to the fears she'd been trying so hard to ignore.

So why  _ did _ she?

"There are many kinds of courage, though," her companion told her then. "You look like a smart girl, you must realise that. I mean, that's basically what you've just said, so you  _ do _ , so... You know."

"Actually, I'm not sure I do," she replied; her voice was quiet, however, there now was a faint hint of amusement in it. "But that's fine. It doesn't really matter."

"It clearly does to you!" he opposed her. "You wouldn't be sitting like this if it didn't."

Marinette growled.

"Oh, and now you're a character judge, too? Weren't you supposed to be like, bad with human relations or something?"

"I'm only telling what I see."

"Well, I bet those cat eyes are helping a lot."

He laughed then, a full, sonorous laughter that made it impossible for Marinette not to look up at him again. He covered his mouth with his hand immediately, undoubtedly trying to stifle it. He failed miserably, snorting and coughing awkwardly, while at the same time, his eyes remained so full of mirth that even a deaf person would have had no trouble guessing how he really felt.

Marinette regarded him for a moment, completely at a loss as to what she should do next - how she should respond to this sudden reaction of his.

Her words had been anything but cordial, and yet, he was  _ laughing _ ?

"I'm sorry, it's just... The way you said it..." he explained in between the chuckles. "I don't know, I probably shouldn't have laughed. Only... It's so good to finally have someone to banter with like this."

His hand was pressed at the nape of his neck again, as he rubbed it awkwardly, a sheepish expression once more reflecting on his face. Marinette eyes him for a moment, not sure how to respond - not like it was anything  _ new _ , really - and instead chose to wait for him to add something on his part.

He must have noticed her confusion because he froze in place the next moment, raising both of his hands in a gesture that looked both defensive and apologetic, and said, "No! I mean, bantering probably isn't the best word for it, is it? After all, you don't really  _ banter _ with someone you've just met, and surely not so early into the conversation, right? It's something you do with your friends, and only the close ones, because obviously, it's a delicate matter and it's foolish to assume you might even  _ want _ to banter with someone like me. Someone you don't know at all! I mean, how crazy would that be? I don't even know your name, we couldn't be further from  _ close _ ."

He stopped talking then, as if ashamed of letting himself be carried away in this manner. His jaw clenched as he turned away, his very real cat ears flat against his head; the change in him so sudden that for a second there Marinette was sure that her mind was playing tricks on her.

Just how anxious was that boy?

_ He could successfully rival with me right now _ , she thought, concerned.  _ And at my worst moments, too. Not to mention, even  _ **_I_ ** _ don't shift so swiftly. _

"Marinette," she said out loud, hoping the simple introduction would be enough to chase away some of the awkwardness; magic knew there was nothing else she could think of. "My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And I'm more than pleased to meet you."

Acting entirely on instinct, she reached out her hand towards him; hearing her words, he looked back at her again and then blinked, clearly taken aback but the gesture that accompanied them. His gaze went from her face to hand and back again, so many times that Marinette started to think that he might not take it after all, and almost withdrew it - but then he made his move, grasping her hand and squeezing it firmly, as if he'd been afraid that she might fade away if he hadn't.

She smiled warmly.

He really  _ was _ a puzzle to her.

"So, since you know my name now,  _ Chaton _ ," she added when she realised that he was not going to say anything on his part. "Do you think we can be friends, banter and all?"

The smile he gave her in return was the most grateful expression she'd ever been gifted with.

Good Godric, he was practically  _ glowing _ .

"Banter and all. Yes, please," he replied eagerly. "I mean, yes, I'd like that. Very, very much."

"Great, then it looks like we've got a deal," Marinette giggled. "No backing off now."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

Their conversation was cut off abruptly by the sound of the bell, announcing the end of Marinette's break. She nearly jumped upon hearing it, letting go of her partner's hand and turning rapidly towards the entrance of the room, surprised.

Was it really time to go already?

"I... must have miscalculated how much time it took me to come here," she said timidly, glancing back at the boy by her side. "I really gotta go, or I'll be late to Transfiguration and I definitely  _ don't _ want to get on Professor Mendeleyev's bad side again. I... guess I'll see you around?"

Before he could answer her, Marinette was back on her feet with both her books and wand held securely in her tight grip. She flashed him a smile and waved at him. Then she was off, running towards the exit (she sure  _ hoped _ it was an exit as well) with the speed of a Quidditch champion in their prime.

"Wait, but I haven't told you-" her companion called after her, but it was too late. The door had opened and closed and she was no longer there, with nothing but his own memory to remind him of her.

_...my name _ , he finished in his thoughts, dazed. Then he shook his head and took a deep breath, determined not to give in to the disappointment he felt at her sudden departure and, even though there was no one there to see it, he forced himself to smile.

It was the beginning, not the end.

One way or another, he  _ would _ see her again.

_ Even if you don't come, even if you forget, I won't let you get rid of me that easily _ , he vowed.  _ After all... we've got ourselves a deal, ma Belle. _


End file.
